25%
of your savings. That's the low end.
Travis County property tax protest
Protest your Travis County property taxes for a flat $140.
You're on the list. We'll email you before the 2027 notices go out.
Next, finish your sign-up on The Ambrose Group's sign-up page. If you're not taken there, use the button.
Finish your sign-up
- $140 flat.
- A person at your hearing
- A service of The Ambrose Group
In short
The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) takes protests online, by mail and in person.
Texas Property Protest is a flat-fee protest service provided by The Ambrose Group, which files the protest, and a person on its team goes to the hearing. Ambrose Tax Consulting, Inc. (DBA The Ambrose Group) is licensed by TDLR to provide property tax consulting services. Daniel M. Ambrose is a licensed senior property tax consultant with TDLR, number 10992. Check it at www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch. The fee is $140 a year paid upfront, or $15 a month on a 12-month plan ($180 in total), and it renews each year.
It's the law
Texans know their rights. Here's one more.
You know the one about bearing arms. This one is about your property taxes.
“One of your most important rights as a taxpayer is your right to protest to the appraisal review board (ARB).”
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Every year TCAD puts a value on your home. Every year you're allowed to challenge it. You can let TCAD's number stand, do it yourself for free, or hand it to us.
Austin, Pflugerville, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Manor, West Lake Hills, Lago Vista: if it's a home on TCAD's roll, it's on our list.
Meet the contingency fee
Every win gets a haircut.
Most protest companies work on contingency. They get your value lowered, then they bill you a share of the savings. Win bigger and you pay more. At some firms the fee comes back every year they win.
40%
of your savings. Two of the five firms we checked charge it.
50%
Half of your first-year savings, at one large Texas firm.
$140
A year. Whatever the protest saves.
Fees from the websites of five protest companies, checked September 30, 2026. The Houston fee comparison links every source.
Move the slider. Watch the contingency fee grow.
At 25% contingency, that's $110 more than our $140 yearly fee.
- A 25% contingency fee keeps $250
- A 40% contingency fee keeps $400
- A 50% contingency fee keeps $500
- Our flat fee, paid yearly $140
Fee math only. Nobody can promise a reduction, including us. A real protest can save more than this, less, or nothing. The monthly plan, $180 over 12 months, costs more than a 25% fee on any cut under about $720.
The flat‑fee protest
One flat fee, and a real person shows up for you. One price covers the whole protest. Here's what's in it.
- We file with TCAD. Before the deadline, every year.
- We build the case. Comparable sales and the appraisal district's own records.
- A person goes to your hearing. You don't take off work or sit in a waiting room.
- You hear the result from us. We email you, and you get a letter.
- Next spring, we do it again. New value, new protest.
What it costs in Travis County
Same price in every Texas ZIP code.
It renews each year. Monthly is a 12-month plan: cancel early and the months left on it are still due.
- Pay once Pay yearly $140 a year One payment upfront.
- Pay monthly $15 a month $180 over 12 months.
The truth about contingency fees
Contingency sounds safe: no savings, no fee. Read the rest of the fee page before you sign with anyone.
- The five firms we checked keep 25% to 50% of what they save you
- The better your result, the bigger their fee
- You learn the dollar amount after the hearing
- At some firms the fee comes back every year they win
How a Travis County protest works, from filing to the ARB
The district's Protest Process page describes filing, an informal meeting with a TCAD appraiser and, if no settlement offer is accepted, a hearing before the Travis Appraisal Review Board (ARB).
Three ways to file
- Online portal. The district says the online route gives an immediate confirmation, and that the online account is where an owner uploads evidence, reviews the district's evidence and answers a settlement offer.
- Mail. The district accepts a protest sent to the address on its Protest Process page.
- In person. The district accepts a protest form dropped off at its office during normal business hours (see its Contact page).
Informal meeting
The Informal Protest Process page says meetings are by phone or video conference, one per property. An owner can book a time in the portal or join that day's queue with Get in Line Online. The district calls the process an opportunity to receive a settlement offer and says one should come within 10 business days of the discussion.
Formal hearing
The district describes the ARB as an independent group of citizens authorized to resolve disputes between taxpayers and the district. It sits in panels of three, or in a single-member panel if the owner asks in the notice of protest or in writing not later than the 10th day before the hearing (Tax Code Section 41.45(b-4)), and hearings are open to the public. The ARB Hearings page says hearings last 15 to 20 minutes, with notice at least 15 days ahead. The hearing procedures say the district posts its hearing evidence to the portal at least 14 days before.
The steps TCAD gives for an online protest
- Set up an online account, if there is none, with the property owner ID and PIN on the Notice of Appraised Value.
- File the protest, then submit evidence.
- Wait for the district to process the evidence before getting in line for an informal meeting.
- Discuss the evidence with a TCAD appraiser.
- Answer any settlement offer.
The district's 2026 dates
The dates TCAD published for 2026, as read on October 12, 2026. Its protest pages show no 2027 dates.
- January 1 Market value date. The district's Protest Process page says the notice's market value is based on what a property would sell for as of January 1.
- March 25, 2026 Values online. The district's release says notices begin to mail that week and the informal process begins April 6, 2026.
- May 15 Protest deadline. Listed with no year on the district's calendars (Toolkit and Property Tax System pages). See The deadline.
- June 2026 Formal hearings expected. The release expected them to begin in June. The ARB Hearings page says they typically run June through August.
Sources, all from the district: the Protest Process page, March 25 release, Property Owner Toolkit, Property Tax System page and ARB Hearings page. Last checked: October 12, 2026.
Travis County at a glance
TCAD's March 25 release gives a median residential homestead market value of $493,449, and its July 18 totals give $458,725,161,457 in total market value.
| Figure | What the district says | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Median market value, residential homestead | $493,449 | TCAD release, March 25, 2026 |
| Total market value, district's July 18 certification totals | $458,725,161,457 | TCAD appraisal totals, July 18, 2026 |
The July 18 total includes properties still under review. The district's other documents print different totals for some of these figures.
The Travis County deadline
The deadline was May 15, or 30 days after your notice if that came later.
Joining the list now gets you in line for 2027. Tax Code Section 41.44(b) entitles an owner who files after the deadline but before the appraisal review board approves the appraisal records to a hearing and determination of the protest, if the owner shows good cause, as the board determines, for not filing on time. Subsections (c), (c-1) and (c-2) of Section 41.44 cover other late-filing cases.
The Texas protest deadline, explained Missed the deadline? What Texas law says
Why us
Thirty years in the saddle.
Texas Property Protest is run by The Ambrose Group, a Houston firm that has been appraising Texas property and protesting its taxes for more than 30 years. About 30 appraisers, with more than 300 years of experience between them.
- 30+ years in Texas real estate
- 45,000 property accounts protested
- 11,693 of them represented in 2026
- 254 Texas counties served
A person, not a bot
A person on our team prepares your protest and goes to your hearing. Nothing is mailed in and left to chance.
We go to the hearing
You don't take off work, sit in a waiting room or argue with an appraiser.
We come back every year
TCAD values your home as of January 1 every year. We protest it every spring.
Where you'll be during your Travis County hearing
We'll be at the hearing.
We fight every year. 
TCAD values your home as of January 1 every year, so one protest is never the end of it.
- January 1 TCAD values your home. As of this date, every year.
- Spring Notices go out. We already have your home on our list.
- May 15 The deadline. Or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later. A weekend date moves to the next business day. We've filed.
- Hearing season The hearing. Our person is there. You aren't.
- After The result. We email you, and you get a letter.
- Next January It starts over. So do we.
Why protest in Travis County every year
- Your value starts over every January 1. Last year's protest doesn't carry forward. This year's value is what next year's is measured against.
- Growth compounds. $400,000 growing 5% a year is about $651,558 in ten years. That's arithmetic, not a forecast for your home.
- The cap isn't the floor. A homestead cap limits how fast the taxed value can rise. A protest can still argue the market value down under it.
- Your street is part of your case. Texas lets you protest on unequal appraisal: your value against similar homes nearby.
- You get your time back. No evidence packet, no trip to the appraisal district, no hearing to sit through.
Who files it
A service of The Ambrose Group.
Texas Property Protest is a service of The Ambrose Group, a Houston appraisal and property tax consulting firm. Its team files your protest and goes to your hearing.
We're a private company. We're not part of the Travis Central Appraisal District or any government office.
Questions, answered straight
What does it cost?
$140 a year paid upfront, or $15 a month, which is $180 over 12 months. It renews each year. The price is the same whatever the protest saves. Monthly is a 12-month plan: cancel early and the months left on it are still due.
What if the protest saves nothing?
You still pay the flat fee. A contingency company would charge nothing that year. That's the trade: a known price instead of a share of every win.
When does a contingency firm cost less?
When the reduction is small. Below about $560 in tax savings, a 25% contingency fee costs less than our $140 a year. And in a year when the protest wins nothing, most contingency firms charge nothing.
Can I still protest my 2026 value?
The regular deadline has passed. It was May 15, or 30 days after your notice if that came later. For a late protest, see the deadline section. Joining the list now gets you in line for 2027.
Do I have to go to the hearing?
No. A person on our team goes for you.
Why every year?
TCAD values your home as of January 1 every year. Last year's protest doesn't file this year's.
Who files my protest?
The Ambrose Group. Texas Property Protest is a service of The Ambrose Group, and its team files your protest and goes to the hearing.
I got an email from you. How do I stop them?
Reply "stop" to any email from us and you won't hear from us again. Our email policy says who we write to and why.
Travis County questions
Which district appraises property in Travis County?
The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD). Its history page says it appraises property in all of Travis County. Its Property Tax System page says it does not calculate or distribute tax bills or accept payments; those go to the Travis County Tax Office.
What do I need from my notice to file online?
The property owner ID and PIN on the Notice of Appraised Value, which the Protest Process page says set up an online account. An owner with no notice can view values in the district's property search, and an owner with no ID or PIN can contact the district's Customer Service Department.
How is a Travis County ARB hearing held?
The district's hearing procedures say the ARB hears protests in person, by affidavit or unsworn declaration, by telephone conference call or by video conference. The procedures say an owner should state a preference on or with the notice of protest, and a telephone conference call is scheduled if none is chosen. Tax Code Section 41.45(b-1) also lets an owner choose a telephone or video hearing by written notice filed no later than the fifth day before the hearing, or the 10th day if the owner has designated an agent. The procedures say evidence for a remote hearing is a written affidavit or unsworn declaration submitted before the hearing begins. The district's FAQ says to bring the hearing letter and 5 sets of evidence to the formal hearing.
Can I reschedule a hearing, and what if I miss it?
An owner who cannot make the date may request a new one, the district says, on the owner or agent form on its Reschedule page (formal hearings only). The district's FAQ says a protest is dismissed if the owner does not appear in person, by valid affidavit, by agent or by pre-scheduled telephone hearing, and that the owner may ask the ARB Chairperson to reopen it by letter within 4 days of the hearing, citing good cause.
Which cities are in the district's list?
The district's 2025 annual report lists these cities and villages as taxing units: Austin (the county seat), Bee Cave, Briarcliff, Cedar Park, Creedmoor, Elgin, Jonestown, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Manor, Mustang Ridge, Pflugerville, Point Venture, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Leanna, The Hills, Volente, Webberville and West Lake Hills. The district's 2026 certification totals also list the City of Sunset Valley. These are taxing units, not addresses. The district's property search looks up an address.
Where does TCAD post its forms and hearing schedule?
Forms are in its forms library, which includes the Appointment of Agent form. The formal hearing schedule is linked from the ARB Hearings page.
Has TCAD published 2027 protest dates?
Not on a protest page as of October 12, 2026: no 2027 notice, deadline or hearing dates. TCAD's reappraisal plan, adopted September 3, 2026, has a 2027 calendar in Appendix D that color-codes informal-meeting and formal-hearing periods but prints no notice date or protest deadline, and the plan lets the Chief Appraiser amend it. The plan also says real property notices will generally be mailed by April 1, or as soon thereafter as practicable. Texas Property Protest writes to people on the list before the 2027 values go out.
One flat fee. $140 a year.
Join the 2027 list for Travis County. One flat fee. A person at your hearing. Back every year.
